Preethi Nampoothiri, the former deputy director at the IRC in Silver Spring, became the executive director of the IRC in Maryland on September 18th.

The Violence, Prevention and Response (VPR) unit implements programming that prevents violence against women, children, especially girls, and other vulnerable groups, and responds to it when it does occur.

​While the plight of war refugees is in the news, and deservedly so, the struggle of refugee families from Eritrea is not often in the headlines.  Located in Northern Africa, Eritrea is led by an oppressive regime, with few rights for its people.  Thousands flee each month in search of survival and a better life. Over the last seven years, the International Rescue Committee in Silver Spring has resettled hundreds of Eritrean refugees. Because Eritrean refugees are at risk if they are identified, the subject of our story – who we will call “H” – did not want to be named. This is her story.